*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ban

Inherited from Middle English bannen (“to summon; to banish; to curse”), partly from Old English bannan (“to summon, command, proclaim, call out”), from Proto-West Germanic *bannan; and partly from Old Norse banna (“to p

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To prohibit; to interdict; to proscribe; to forbid or block from participation. · To summon; to call out. · To anathematize; to pronounce an ecclesiastical curse upon; to place under a ban. · To curse; to execrate.

noun

A prohibition. · A public proclamation or edict; also, a summons by public proclamation, and in early use especially a summons to arms. · The gathering of the (French) king’s vassals for war; the whole body of vassals assembled this way, or liable to be summoned; originally the same as arriere-ban, but distinct since the 16th century, following French usage—see arriere-ban. · A curse or anathema.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inherited from Middle English bannen (“to summon; to banish; to curse”), partly from Old English bannan (“to summon, command, proclaim, call out”), from Proto-West Germanic *bannan; and partly from Old Norse banna (“to prohibit; to curse”), both from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to proclaim, to order; to summon; to ban; to curse, forbid”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-new-ti ~ bʰh₂-n̥w-énti, innovative nasal-infixed zero-grade athematic present of *bʰeh₂- (“to say”). Cognate with Dutch bannen (“to ban, exile, discard”), German bannen (“to exile, to exorcise, captivate, excommunicate”), Swedish banna (“to ban, scold”), Vedic Sanskrit भन॑ति (bhánati), Armenian բան (ban) and perhaps Albanian banoj (“to reside, dwell”). See also banal, abandon.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*bʰeh₂-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionbannenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionbannanang · to summon, command, proclaim, call out
  • Inherited-form mention*bannangmw-pro
  • Derivation mentionbannanon · to prohibit; to curse
  • Inherited-form mention*bannanągem-pro
  • Cognate mentionbannennl
  • Cognate mentionbannende
  • Cognate mentionbannasv
  • Cognate mentionբանhy
  • Cognate mentionbanojsq

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeh₂-",
        "id": "speak"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "yesno",
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
      },
      "expansion": "I"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bannen",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to summon; to banish; to curse",
        "lit": "",
        "pos": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": "",
        "id": "",
        "sc": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bannen (“to summon; to banish; to curse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bannen",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to summon; to banish; to curse"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English bannen (“to summon; to banish; to curse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bannan",
        "t": "to summon, command, proclaim, call out"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bannan (“to summon, command, proclaim, call out”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*bannan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bannan"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "banna",
        "t": "to prohibit; to curse"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse banna (“to prohibit; to curse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bannaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to proclaim, to order; to summon; to ban; to curse, forbid"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to proclaim, to order; to summon; to ban; to curse, forbid”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "",
        "4": "*bʰh₂-new-ti ~ bʰh₂-n̥w-énti"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-new-ti ~ bʰh₂-n̥w-énti"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bannen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to ban, exile, discard"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bannen (“to ban, exile, discard”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bannen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to exile, to exorcise, captivate, excommunicate"
      },
      "expansion": "German bannen (“to exile, to exorcise, captivate, excommunicate”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "banna",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to ban, scold"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish banna (“to ban, scold”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa-ved",
        "2": "भन॑ति"
      },
      "expansion": "Vedic Sanskrit भन॑ति (bhánati)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "hy",
        "2": "բան"
      },
      "expansion": "Armenian բան (ban)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "banoj",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to reside, dwell"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian banoj (“to reside, dwell”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "bannen",
      "bannen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bannan",
      "bannan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*bannan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bannan"
    ],
    [
      "banna",
      "banna#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*bannaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bannaną"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰeh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "bannen",
      "bannen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "bannen",
      "bannen#German"
    ],
    [
      "banna",
      "banna#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "भन॑ति",
      "भनति#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "բան",
      "բան#Armenian"
    ],
    [
      "banoj",
      "banoj#Albanian"
    ],
    [
      "banal",
      "banal#English"
    ],
    [
      "abandon",
      "abandon#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To prohibit; to interdict; to proscribe; to forbid or block from participation.",
        "To summon; to call out.",
        "To anathematize; to pronounce an ecclesiastical curse upon; to place under a ban.",
        "To curse; to execrate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "18f6549ac9d83499c1c0011390ab4acad800196bae112cc543ac869847f24054",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cc785a92dd3d232518d0344fdf9ea0188b3f556f7805454cccb13539085c6981",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 22286
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A prohibition.",
        "A public proclamation or edict; also, a summons by public proclamation, and in early use especially a summons to arms.",
        "The gathering of the (French) king’s vassals for war; the whole body of vassals assembled this way, or liable to be summoned; originally the same as arriere-ban, but distinct since the 16th century, following French usage—see arriere-ban.",
        "A curse or anathema."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "3ca3edabebc9c47a08d3f12c3d7c0c57ceb72664f7bf1202a5567bea946b4386",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ba42783661700b3a6387e6b2ea8065529f0fbd05ff8583111d465d9b6c2b2d11",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 22287
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 2,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Romanian leu. · A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Moldovan leu.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Romanian ban of uncertain origin, perhaps from Serbo-Croatian bân.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionbanro
  • Derivation mentionbansh
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ro",
        "3": "ban"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Romanian ban"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sh",
        "3": "ban",
        "4": "bân"
      },
      "expansion": "Serbo-Croatian bân"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ban",
      "ban#Romanian"
    ],
    [
      "bân",
      "ban#Serbo-Croatian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Romanian leu.",
        "A subdivision of currency, equal to one hundredth of a Moldovan leu."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c8ecded1ad84d541156c430a654c4abf448ecedd459a820df579207d82b35fb8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c4b214b915af6977c86543bf33ae0a3a5fa8ccc2d3dcfae97f03060c017d6de2",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 22288
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A unit measuring information or entropy based on base-ten logarithms, rather than the base-two logarithms that define the bit.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Banburismus; coined by Alan Turing.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "Banburismus",
      "Banburismus#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A unit measuring information or entropy based on base-ten logarithms, rather than the base-two logarithms that define the bit."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "3c6c374a1fedc2d9b26a385d72b6d7d2de9f1a5db2f6b12da3e5018e23bc318d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c73c68d5bcb81c0b638164f9ebd0519c8f18fb55114eccd791b01e13fab06b88",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 22289
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

A title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From South Slavic (compare Serbo-Croatian bȃn), from Proto-Slavic *banъ; see there for more.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Cognate mentionbansh
  • Cognate mention*banъsla-pro
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zls"
      },
      "expansion": "South Slavic"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sh",
        "2": "ban",
        "3": "bȃn"
      },
      "expansion": "Serbo-Croatian bȃn"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sla-pro",
        "2": "*banъ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Slavic *banъ"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "bȃn",
      "ban#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "*banъ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/banъ"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "ba26cc454e78ed7f910cd4d9ea9ae50c09e242ba79ac6fbd453bd1c442dbf535",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b68f95922d32b8da629eee1682c9f12b0df20ab6a14b7ebd3130ede1ec464e8b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 22290
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ban →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YmFu